


(no) hope in the water

by rhllors



Series: born and raised to be killers [4]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Annie Centric, Character Study, F/M, Gen, Gore, live fast die young careers do it well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-29
Updated: 2012-03-29
Packaged: 2017-11-02 17:34:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/371563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhllors/pseuds/rhllors
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She is a wisp of a girl, with the sea in her blood and madness in her eyes.</p><p>That’s not quite right, though—she is so much more than that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(no) hope in the water

She is a wisp of a girl, with the sea in her blood and madness in her eyes.

That’s not quite right, though—she is so much more than that.

 

 

Like most Fours, she trains. 

People forget, sometimes, that District 4 breeds careers like 1 and 2. The thing is, though, 4 makes them likeable. Whilst the others intensely train all of their children, shaping and warping the innocent into the terrifying figures that play to win--rather than to simply survive like the rest. In 4 one must volunteer for the academy. 

The academy only takes the best--the strongest, the cleverest, the most sly. It is no surprise to anyone who knows her that Annie Cresta signs herself up.

 

 

Annie watches Finnick in his Games. 

He is golden and terrible, spearing those who he discovers with the trident. 

Day by day, his eyes get wearier, his posture gets stiffer and he stares over the waterfall within the arena longer than anyone who wasn't consider jumping would.

Annie watches Finnick get broken during his Games, and the absolute wrongness of the entire situation suddenly becomes clear. She does not wish to fight, but if she is reaped, Annie will be ready. She will win, of course. She has always been a winner.

 

 

The night before she enters the arena, Finnick hugs her tight against his chest. His beautiful face is contorted into something that looks like agony, tears are falling thick and fast.

(annie can barely remember when they went from finnick and annie to finnick'n'annie)

He is murmuring into her long hair, which shines from all of the chemicals and toxins that her stylists polluted it with--Annie had not been used to such extravagance and excess, but such was life in the Capitol. She just misses the sea--but there is a desperate tone is his voice that unsettles her. He, after all, is Finnick Odair, the Captiol's golden boy; he doesn't get scared, not for girls from home.

She strains her ears, and hears Finnick's pained pleading-- _they don't tell you that the lucky ones die, Annie Cresta. pray for a quick and painless death, and may you be spared from this hell oh fuck Annie Annie Annie Annie_

It's easier not to listen.

 

 

Andrej's head is thrown at her feet.

Annie can see the blood pooling; the top of his back bone, brain stem poking through. His mouth is caught in a silent scream, his mouth bloody where he'd bitten through his tongue during his moments.

After that...something breaks.

nothing is the same again

 

 

the girl from district four treads water for three days before the final canon rings

her tongue is salty with water eyes dry limbs heavy what's my name again?

 _annie_ they tell her _annie cresta_

she repeats it over and over and over and over _annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie cresta annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie annie ___

 

his name is finnick and he has the bluest eyes she has ever seen

he holds her tight and swears that he will _kill them all_ for what they did to her

she claws at his arms because she _cannot remember_ what they did to her in the first place 

 

 

the boy with the blue eyes cries when she tries to tear her eyes out of their sockets

he talks of _vengeance_ and _secrets_

for a shinning moment she is Annie Cresta, District Four Victor (not that she'd ever been or ever will be anything less) and she snaps at him "It's not your vengeance to take, Finnick. It's fucking mine."

the boy is so surprised he drops his bag

behind him is andrej's head, lolling

annie can see the blood pooling the top of his back bone, brain stem poking through his mouth is caught in a silent scream his mouth bloody where he'd bitten through his tongue during his final moments

her screams replace his her arms covering her head her eyes shutting tight

 

 

she is annie annie cresta

she has a crown

she had a husband

she has a son

she

has

_survived_

**Author's Note:**

> title from laura marling, 'hope in the air'


End file.
